Basil Knick of Mineral, Virginia was assisting a tractor trailer that was backing out of a parking lot in Reston onto Fox Mill Road when he was struck by a vehicle being driven by Darryl Barnes of Sterling, Virginia.

Barnes, who reportedly did not see Knick in the road, was charged with failing to pay full time and attention. Other factor such as alcohol or excessive speed do not appear to have contributed to the accident, although an investigation of the crash is still in progress.

The 69 year-old Knick was flow to a hospital after the accident but was later pronounced dead. Barnes was not inured in the collision and remained in Reston at the scene of the accident .

This tragedy is a chilling reminder of how drastically a person’s life can change in an instant. We should remember that for most of us driving a car is the most dangerous thing we’ll do on any given day. Dropping your guard, as a driver or pedestrian, is one of the fastest paths to disaster.